Erotesis
/ˌɛr.əˈtiː.sɪs/noun
A rhetorical question asked for effect rather than to obtain an answer.
Did you know?Erotesis comes from Greek rhetoric, where a question could be used as a verbal spell to push the listener toward a conclusion without ever stating it outright.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐρώτησις (erōtēsis)
“a question, inquiry, asking”
Late Classical / Hellenistic Greek
Greek
ἐρωτητικός (erōtētikos)
“pertaining to asking; interrogative”
Latin
Latin
erotēsis
“a rhetorical question”
Middle English / Early Modern English
English
erotesis
“a rhetorical question or interrogative figure”
Modern English
English
erotesis
“a rhetorical question asked for effect rather than to obtain an answer”
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